RLB: Meeting the Market Demand to Measure Sustainability

With such a need for companies to monitor their sustainability efforts, the new global carbon calculation service, launched by RLB, is in response to this exact demand.

The independent construction and property managing consultants have debuted the new service to meet the market’s need for sustainability measurement.

This service uses global data from across RLB’s worldwide business to support clients with carbon quantification and net zero strategies to realise their carbon goals.

With embodied carbon emissions expected to account for 50% of all emissions in new construction up to 2050, this new RLB sustainability service will provide clients with carbon measurement and decarbonisation planning across the whole building life cycle, supporting clients to meet their carbon reduction targets.

This service will also contribute to reporting requirements, risk management, and adherence to compliance, bringing financial benefits as well as operational efficiencies.

The need for green procurement

The latest results from RLB’s Procurement Trends Survey 2024 discovered that:

• A 19% increase (to 33%) in contractors reporting the need to provide whole life carbon assessments, showing a shift towards a more focused approach to sustainability measures.
• 27% of contractors also reported that tenders explicitly communicate project sustainability objectives.
• 24% of tenders are asking for open commitments to reduce waste during construction.

The carbon calculation service will support tenders and clients’ ESG commitments, providing decarbonisation planning and net zero roadmaps.

Heather Evans, Global Chair of RLB’s Sustainability Committee, says, “We know that buildings are responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, and therefore as an industry we can make a massive difference to global warming and global net zero ambitions.

"However, to be able to make this difference we need to measure, benchmark and implement strategies to reduce our carbon emissions.

"This new service offering allows us to combine our cost management expertise and sustainability knowledge with RLB’s global, independent data to support clients wherever they are in their carbon journey and achieve their sustainability goals.”

Racing to go green

There is a growing need for action throughout the built environment. In the data centre sector, an RLB survey uncovered that 90% of respondents were planning to act on sustainability, yet fewer than half have put these plans into effect.

Only 31% measuring and reducing the embodied carbon of materials – highlighting the gap between the intent for, and the much-needed action by, property owners.

Andrew Reynolds, RLB Chief Executive, UK & Europe, adds, “Making our industry sustainable has to be our number one priority.

“But to do this we need to understand the steps we need to take to get there. Our new global carbon calculation service will support our clients and the industry in becoming one step closer to reaching carbon neutral.”

Wider trends in procurement

RLB carried out the 2024 edition of its Procurement Trends survey, aiming to provide data, insights, and analysis into what companies need to understand about changing procurement within the UK construction industry.

Now in its fifth year, the survey talks to contractors across the supply chain, covering a range of sectors and project types to build an accurate and detailed picture of the current procurement landscape.

The survey reveals how procurement practices are continuing to evolve in response to volatile market conditions.

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